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Top 5 underrated performers for Barcelona this season

By Chiranjib Ghosh

17th January 2018, Cornella-El Prat, Cornella de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain; Copa del Rey, quarter-final, 1st leg, Espanyol versus Barcelona; Thomas Vermaelen from Belguim waming up (Photo by Pedro Salado/Action Plus via Getty Images)
17th January 2018, Cornella-El Prat, Cornella de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain; Copa del Rey, quarter-final, 1st leg, Espanyol versus Barcelona; Thomas Vermaelen from Belguim waming up (Photo by Pedro Salado/Action Plus via Getty Images) /
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Ivan Rakitic of FC Barcelona during the UEFA Champions League quarter final match between FC Barcelona and AS Roma at the Camp Nou stadium on April 04, 2018 in Barcelona, Spain.(Photo by VI Images via Getty Images)
Ivan Rakitic of FC Barcelona during the UEFA Champions League quarter final match between FC Barcelona and AS Roma at the Camp Nou stadium on April 04, 2018 in Barcelona, Spain.(Photo by VI Images via Getty Images) /

1. Ivan Rakitić

Following a poor season under Luis Enrique, Ivan Rakitić was linked with a move away from the Camp Nou, with Manchester United being touted as potential suitors. But Ernesto Valverde retained faith in him and it paid dividends.

Ivan Rakitić is the ultimate underrate player. No one recognises him as one of Barcelona’s stars and yet, he delivers on almost every occasion. In fact, he even bettered his partner in midfield, Sergio Busquets this season.

Next: Coutinho nets stunning goal to bid farewell to Iniesta

The 30-year old Croatian has made 52 appearances in all competitions this season, scoring 5 goals and providing 5 assists. But the most startling aspect of his play was his passing accuracy of 90.5%, which is very difficult to attain in a direct system like the one implemented by Valverde.